Description:
The Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners (CWSP) received funding from Kootenay Connect ECCC for four projects in Columbia Valley, BC. The projects included the 4CW Conservation Lands project with a goal to identify and rank important biodiversity hotspots in riparian and upland habitat in Columbia Valley (CV) and describe the conservation values and challenges to conservation in important wildlife corridors in CV. A related goal is to identify and initiate conservation actions in important wildlife corridors and biodiversity hotspots in CV. The second project, 4CW Conservation & Mitigation of Wetland Basins Vulnerable to Drought (4CW Hydro & Beaver) is composed of two subprojects: a) a hydrological evaluation of wetland vulnerability to climate change and determines priority wetlands where management actions like conservation or mitigation should be implemented and b) an assessment of the impact of beaver dams on the wetlands, and selection and construction of artificial beaver dams to mitigate the loss of water overwinter on specie at risk (SAR) and waterbirds. The third project, 4CW Cottonwood & Beaver project, focused on identifying and protecting important cottonwood trees from beaver harvesting. The fourth project, 4CW Western Painted Turtle and Species at-risk (4CW WP Turtle & SAR) project, sought to enhance conservation actions that would benefit American badger, Western painted turtle, Lewis’s woodpecker, and osprey.

Keywords: wetlands; riparian; birds; beaver; hydrology; climate change

Authors:

Organization: Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners

Category: Project Overview

Focal Area: Columbia Wetlands

Resource Type: Report

Year: 2023